The Great British Bake-Off
The television series The Great British Bake Off, or GBBO, is a famous baking competition that features the notable pastry chefs Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith as the two primary judges. Although there have been quite a few hosts throughout the 14 seasons, Noel Fielding has been the most quirky and memorable host. Each season, also referred to as a “collection,” begins with an average of 12 eager participants that are baking their hearts out for the most desired trophy in the baking world: the engraved glass cake stand that contains the GBBO logo. Each episode is 60 minutes and consists of three challenges: the first is the “Signature Challenge,” which showcases each baker’s knowledge and personal experience from baking for others at home. The second is the “Technical Challenge,” where each recipe is selected by Judge Paul or Judge Prue and either may have consistent baking instructions or something as vague as “bake” as the final step without providing any further detail. The final challenge is the “Showstopper,” which is almost always given the most amount of time to complete their baking project, as there are many steps and requirements during this final assignment.Each episode, a participant is chosen to be the “Star Baker,” or the most creative baker of the week, and the least successful baker is eliminated. One of the most significant aspects of the GBBO are the weekly themes; for example, there is “bread week,” “cake week,” and my favorite: “pastry week.” As a viewer watches each collection, I guarantee they will see the themes and find a personal favorite; mine is determined by the authenticity of each participant as they face recipes they’ve never seen before and their determination to take on the challenge. Watch as the bakers participate and thrive or grow through the exciting recipes that are presented in each episode. Cheer for your favorite baker while they face the pressure of things like a oven that’s too hot, weak buttercream frosting that causes their cake towers to crumble, or as their projects fatally fall to the floor. The drama will keep any viewer entertained while listening to the twinkly theme song. Available on Netflix.
—Kayu Brooks, TV Editor